Hopton, Millfield et al

Contact from Helen set me off on a THOMSON update. She had noted William THOMSON of Hopton in my database and wondered what connection he was to me.
A first quick look showed that he was included because he, and his second cousin, had both married into my RUNCIMAN family. But the mention of Hopton reminded me of the bunch of THOMSONs buried at Maxton, very close to my WIGHTs (who had THOMSON connections), so I did a bit more digging. I'd not touched these latter THOMSONs for 20 years - what an amazing amount of information is now so much more readily available.
Additional info on the assorted THOMSON headstone families was found, and the above William THOMSON also connected in. Contact with Harry about this activity unearthed his 20 yr old photos of the headstones concerned:

Places associated with these farming THOMSONs inlcude Reperlaw (Raplaw, Replaw), Millfield, Hopton (Hobton) and Over Roxburgh.
The other headstone with this lot was that of an Adam, farmer at Rutherford, but born Fogo, whose father appears to have farmed at Bogend, not as yet known to be connected - anyone researching this lot?
During this, I did convince myself that the James THOMSON married to Janet FAIRBAIRN of Yarlside was a grandson of Thomas & Helen (SCOTT) THOMSON of Millfield. (See Fairbairn Surname DNA Project for further info, and the Borders Family History Society Journal of Oct 2010 for an article on a Thomson reunion)
As a result of all of this activity, my WorldConnect database LornaHenderson has been updated to include some of these families, as one day, we may be able to connect them up to my Bowden/Maxton THOMSONs. The update also includes a few more LIDDLE twigs found recently.
While fossicking around on Millfield and Hopton I happened across some interesting House of Commons papers, Volume 14 which included the 1837 Report of the Select Committee, with Minutes of Evidence on Fictitious Votes (Scotland). This is online at google books and has several lists of tenants, joint or single, together with some land transaction sasines. Andrew THOMSON and brother Walter were both listed as tenants at Millfield in 1832.

Fewer orphans

I'm in the process of checking another update to my WorldConnect database LornaHenderson.

Part of that check is to see if I can connect a few of the "orphaned" people in my database that are known to be related, but I've no idea how.  They've usually been found because there were "grandchild of xxx" in a census, or informant for a BDM etc.

This time round I've placed:
- Thomas BROWN, informant for the death of his brother-in-law Alexander LIDDLE in 1926 (he was married to Agnes WIGHTMAN, sister of Alexander's wife Jessie).
- Maggie P  and John P AINSLIE, who probably show up as HALL at the moment, given as part of this check I realised I'd recorded them inaccurately from the 1891 census. According to the 1901 census they belong to Euphemia AINSLIE or HALL, as they appear on that census as step children to Euphemia's husband Peter RIDDELL
But I gave up, again, on identifying which METHERELL married a T C JENKINS some time before 1923 and was living in Philadelphia - at least according to the emigration records for her brother Marshall METHERELL.
Several of his sisters are now more fully identified, with husbands and children as a result, so some progress, with names such as DONEY,  HAM and ROGERS, being added to the tree.

At this rate of progress, could be a while before the updates arrive.

Mar 27, 2008: Gala Hotmatches - SINTON/LIDDLE

Noted a GenesReunited Hotmatch on the family of Janet SINTON & James Thomson LIDDLE today.
The researcher wasn't a relation, but made me realise there was more to be found on this family as I'd barely scratched the surface of available records.
SINTON tree updated as a result, as several descendants of Janet and James have now been traced forward in time. They seem to have mostly stayed around Galashiels, although I suspect Agnes moved south, given she married a David SPIERS, fitter of Poplar, Middlesex.
Interesting range of occupations amongst the siblings. Instead of them all being woollen weavers/piecers, power loom weavers, there was a blacksmith, a joiner, and a grocer, at least.